I. Duran et al., Similar pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production in the different clinical forms of multiple sclerosis, MULT SCLER, 7(3), 2001, pp. 151-156
Cytokines ploy on important role in the initiation and maintenance of the i
nflammatory reaction in multiple sclerosis, a chronic inflammatory demyelin
ating disease of the central nervous system. Magnetic resonance imaging evi
dence supports clinical divergence between forms of multiple sclerosis with
relapses and the primary progressive form without relapses which shows few
er and smeller inflammatory lesions. With the aim of understanding better t
he relative role of pro-inflammatory ond/or anti-inflammatory cytokines in
primary progressive multiple sclerosis in comparison to relapsing forms we
analysed in 65 patients (24 primary progressive, 20 relapsing-remitting and
21 secondary progressive) and 29 healthy controls, the Production of cytok
ines (IFN-gamma TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and IL- 12) by peripheral blood mono
nuclear cells after in vitro stimulation. We found a similar percentage of
cytokines producing cells between healthy controls and the different clinic
al forms of multiple sclerosis patients.